Converter having ball and socket trunnion bearings



April 2, 1968 E. MENU 3,376,029

CONVERTER HAVING BALL AND SOCKET TRUNNION BEARINGS Filed Nov. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l EDOUARD MENU AGENTS A ril 2, 1968 E. MENU 3,375,029

CONVERTER HAVING BALL AND SOCKET TRUNNION BEARINGS Filed NOV. 22, 1965 z-sheets-sheet 13 FIG.4

FIGS

INVENTOR. EDOUARD MENU AGENTS United States Patent 6 Claims. (a. 266-36) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a steel converter, a retort carrier envelopes a pot tion of the retort like a trunnion ring. The socket portions of two ball-and-socket bearings are fixed to the carrier closely adjacent the respective trunnions. Two

shafts, which have a common axis and extend from the retort in opposite directions, are received in recesses of the ball portions of the bearings, and at least one of the shafts is axially slidable in the associated ball portion.

This invention relates to converters of the Bessemer type for steel making and the like, and particularly to the supporting structure for the retort of a conveyor.

It is common practice to support the retort in a trunnion ring equipped with two trunnions having a common axis and extending from the ring in opposite directions away from the retort. The retort is connected to the trunnion ring by hangers or pins which are distributed around the circumference of the retort and engage the trunnion ring in such a manner as to permit the free thermal expansion and contraction of the retort, yet to hold the retort in a stable spatial relationship to the ring, particularly during the turning down of the retort for receiving or discharging the molten metal.

The trunnion ring thus serves as a support which transmits the weight of the retort to the trunnions, and as a motion transmitting link which causes the retort to turn about the axis of the trunnions. The conventional trunnion ring is subjected to very high stresses and has been found to yield resiliently under such stresses to a significant extent so that the load is unevenly distributed over. the several elements which connect the retort to the trunnion ring, whereby local reactions are generated and tend to impede or prevent free thermal expansion of the retort in circumscribed areas. A substantial reduction in the useful life of the retort shell and of its refractory lining has been found to result from this fact.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a converter in which the retort is supported in a carrier analogous to the conventional trunnion ring, yet permitting substantially uniform free expansion of the retort.

Another object is the provision of a converter in which the retort carrier is substantially free from major stresses generated by the weight of the retort, and thus is free from the strain generated thereby.

A further object is the provision of a converter in which the retort carrier serves practically only for the turning of the retort.

With these and other objects in view, as will hereinafter become apparent, the invention mainly provides a retort carrier which envelops at least a portion of the retort in the manner of a trunnion ring. The trunnions extend from the carrier in opposite directions away from the retort, and the socket portions of two ball-and-socket bearings are fixedly fastened to the carrier closely adjacent the respective trunnions. Two shafts which have a common axis and extend from the retort in opposite directions are respectively received in recesses of the ball portions of the ball-and-socket bearings, and at least one of the shafts is preferably axially slidable in the associated ball portion.

Other features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows as much of a steel converter of the Bessemer type as is necessary for an understanding of this invention, the view being in front-elevational section;

FIG. 2 shows the converter of HG. 1 in side-elevational section on the line II--II;

FIG. 3 shows a modified converter of the invention in front-elevational section; and

FIG. 4 shows the converter of FIG. 3 .in side elevation.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, there is seen a retort 10 which is enveloped by a trunnion ring or retort carrier 12 equipped with two trunnions 14 which are journaled in stationary supports, not shown, during operation of the converter.

The retort 10 has a steel plate shell 16 internally covered by a refractory lining 18. The tuyeres and other details of the retort have been omitted from the drawing since they are not in themselves relevant to this invention. The cylindrical middle or main portion 20 of the shell 16 is reinforced by circumferential and longitudinal ribs.

Two stub shafts 22, 22a, normally coaxial with the trunnions 14, are fixedly fastened to the main shell portion 20 and extend therefrom in opposite directions. Their free ends are respectively received in bores of the ball members of two ball-and-socket bearings 24, 24a of which the socket members are respectively integral with the trunnions 14 so that the ball members are centered on the common axis of the trunnions 14 and the shafts 22, 22a. The shaft 22a is secured against axial movement in the associated ball-and-socket bearing 2411, whereas the shaft 22 is axially slidable in the bearing 24 to an extent suflicient to permit thermal free expansion and contraction of the retort 10 in the direction of the trunnion axis.

Rotary movement of the retort 10 relative to the trunnion ring 12 is limited by two buffers 26 shown in FIG. 2. Each bufier consists of a cylinder fastened to the trunnion ring 12, and of a plunger fastened to the shell 16 of the retort 10 by a bracket 28. The plunger is partly received in the associated cylinder, and the remainder of the latter is filled with an elastomeric material, not seen in the drawing, such as heat-resistant synthetic rubber.

The two buffers are arranged in a plane through the longitudinal axis of the retort and perpendicurar to the axial plane which includes the trunnion axis. The resilient material in each buffer is prestressed under a compressive force greater than any force which the butter will be called upon to transmit between the ring 12 and the retort 10 during the turning movement of the retort on the trunnionsl l. There can never be any clearance beween the buifers 28 and the trunnion ring 12 or the retort 10 and the turning movement of the retort is smooth and free from shock, A frustoconical shield 30 protects the trunnion ring 12 and associated support elements. The weight of the retort 10 and of its contents is directly transmitted by the shafts 22, 22a to the ball-andsocket hearings in the trunnions 14, and the trunnion ring 12 is under major stresses only during the turning of the retort on the pivots. The retort is free to expand and to contract under thermal stress because of the ball-andsocket suspension, and the free axial mobility of the shaft 22 in the associated bearing.

The use of smooth ball-and-socket bearings which are less expensive than roller bearings, and less sensitive to 3 the effects of high temperature, is entirely feasible in the converter of the invention because of the very limited movement of the retort 16 relative to the trunniOn ring 12, which is permitted by the buffers 28.

The axes of the trunnions 14 and of the shafts 12 may be slightly offset relative to each other without loss of the major benefits of the invention in a manner evident from FIGS. 3 and 4.

The modified converter shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a retort similar to the retort 10 discussed above, and consisting mainly of an outer metal shell 16 provided with a refractory lining 18, and having a middle portion 20' which is reinforced by means of circumferential and longitudinal ribs. Two stub shafts 22' extend in opposite directions from the shell portion 20.

The retort carrier 12 is approximately U-shaped and extends over somewhat more than one half of the circumference of the retort 10'. Its terminal portions are equipped with trunnions 14' having a common axis, and carry ball-and-socket bearings 24,

The socket portion of each bearing 24' is split, being partly integral with the retort carrier 12 and partly constituted by a bearing cover 25' bolted to the carrier so as to permit release of the retort 16 from the carrier 12. The shafts 22' are axially slidably received in corresponding recesses of the ball members of the bearings 24. Each bearing 24- is offset upwardly from the associated trunnion and forwardly toward the free end of the retort carrier 12' a small distance A slightly smaller than the radius of the shaft 22' and substantially smaller than the radius of the trunnion 14'.

Relative movement of the retort 10' and of the retort carrier 12 about the common axis of the shafts 22' is limited by a single resilient buffer 26' in a plane through the center of the retort 10 and perpendicular to the axes of the trunnions 14 and of the shafts 22. The buffer 26', not shown in detail in the drawing, includes a cylinder fixedly fastened on the carrier 12 and containing a heatresistant elastomeric material which is compressed between two plungers fixedly fastened on the retort 10.

The normally horizontal spacing A of the trunnion axes from the axes of the shafts 22 is selected in such a manner that the torque exerted by the weight of the retort and its usual contents in the illustrated operative position of the converter is approximately equal and opposite to the torque exerted by the weight of the carrier 12 so that the retort, together with its carrier, is normally approximately balanced with respect to the trunnion axis. Such an arrangement requires the shafts 22' to be offset toward the free ends of the carrier 12 but it will be appreciated that the relative vertical positions of the trunnions 14' and 12' do not affect the balance of the converter. It is not practical to arrange the trunnions 14 and the shafts 12 on a common horizontal level but the shafts 22' may be arranged below the trunnions 14' instead of above the trunnions 14, as specifically illustrated.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates only to preferred embodiments of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A converter for steel making and the like comprising, in combination:

(a) a retort;

(b) a retort carrier enveloping at least a portion of said retort;

(c) two trunnions having a common axis and extending from said carrier in opposite directions away from said retort;

(d) two ball-and-socket bearings having each a ball member and a socket member, one of said members being fixedly fastened to said carrier adjacent a respective trunnion and rotatably engaging the other member; and

(e) two shafts having a common axis and extending from said retort in opposite directions, each of said other members being formed with a recess therein receiving a respective one of said shafts,

2. A converter as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of said shafts is axially slidable in the associated other member.

3. A converter as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bearings are centered in the common axis of said trunrnons.

4. A converter as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carrier is approximately vU-shaped and has two terminal portions, each terminal portion carrying one of said trunnions and said one bearing member, the one bearing member being offset from said trunnion member toward the free end of the associated terminal portion.

5. A converter as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one member is the ball member of each bearing.

6. A converter as set forth in claim 1, further comprising resilient buffer means interposed between said carrier and a portion of said retort remote from the common axis of said shafts for limiting rotary movement of the retort relative to the carrier about the axis of said shafts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,014,767 12/1961 Thrasher et al, 308-72 3,195,875 7/ 1965 Mummert 266-36 3,291,541 12/1966 Dellinger 26636 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,042,334 10/1953 France. 1,200,765 12/1959 France. 1,281,096 12/1962 France.

205,284 6/ 1966 Sweden.

I. SPENCER 'OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

E. MAR, Assistant Examiner. 

